It was ABC's answer to The Twilight Zone, but John Newland, host of One Step Beyond, was no Rod Serling. Beyond was a mid-season replacement that bowed in January 1959, and lasted a total of three seasons over 2 1/2 years.
Was it really scary? No, it was no different than Zone or any of the other anthologies of this genre in the period in that regard. The stories were supposed to be fact-based, but, like Dragnet, with names perhaps changed to protect the innocent.
Given how some people for some reason have an inordinate hatred of clowns, I guess it's only appropriate to present "The Clown", starring Mickey Shaughnessy & Yvette Mimieux:
Newland and creator Collier Young came back several years later with The Next Step Beyond, but that series lasted just 1 season in syndication, and this time, Newland, who'd gained some experience behind the camera, directed several episodes as well as continuing as host.
Rating: B-.
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